The Magic's strategy for keeping Dwight Howard is to try and land a star player before the trade deadline, in the hopes that Happy Dwight would want to stay in Orlando. It's risky, but it's probably their best and only hope. So that's fine.

Then there's this buried lede. Way down in the eight paragraph of ESPN's story, we learn that

One source close to the situation told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that the Magic have promised Howard that they will add a quality player before Thursday's deadline and that Howard can decide the fate of both GM Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy at the end of the season if he signs an extension.

I think we all remember the last time a player was given control of front office moves and it ended happily, which was never. If this report is true, and we pray it's not because we don't have the vocabulary to properly excoriate Alex Martins, it means the Magic are willing to throw their coach and GM under the bus for the sake of a guy who probably won't be around in three months. The post-lockout movement created a growing fear among owners that the star players have too much control, and here's Dwight Howard being handed the keys and being told not to stay out too late. Forget "basketball reasons"—the Magic just need some reason.